7^th Grade (Gesher):
What You Need to Know

NEW DAY!  Wednesdays  6:30-8:30pm

Dinner is back! Optional dinner at 6pm for $5.

Annual Tuition: $2,400

*Includes bar/bat mitzvah training with Cantor Mark to be scheduled privately and speech writing with Judy Karin

*Also Includes participation in Shevet and Rosh Hodesh programs

Gesher (Bridge)  is  CBB’s program, for 7th and 8th grade students. In this program, students will come of age together as they approach and experience their B’mitzvah and beyond.  Gesher will focus on Jewish learning and group bonding while treating our students as adults in our community.

As our students move into middle school and towards and beyond their Bar/Bat Mitzvah, they will be diving into deeper subjects and methods of learning.  Students will be challenged to discover for themselves what Judaism means to them and what their place is in the greater community.  Class time will be spent doing hands-on projects and learning from each other through conversation and active engagement.  By the end of 7^th Grade and the B’nai Mitzvah cycle, these students will have created tight bonds with each other which will carry through into their adult Jewish lives.  As part of their group experience, students focus on Torah, Family, Jewish Values, and issues related to Coming of Age/responsibility.

There is MUCH to do in this 7^th grade year and at times it can feel overwhelming.  Try to stay focused on the joy of the occasion and help your child manage their time accordingly. Spread out the learning! Don’t cram in the final weeks or months.

The Bar/Bat Mitzvah student will study for his/her simcha with a lot of individualized instruction.  The student will begin working with a private Hebrew tutor ten months before the event.  A list of local tutors will be provided, and it will be up to your family to schedule sessions and provide payment directly to the tutor.  A student generally meets privately with his/her tutor once per week, and sessions are generally $30 for 30 thirty minutes.

Five months before the simcha, the student will start meeting with Cantor Mark Childs (also 30-minute sessions) to learn to chant their individual Torah portion.  These private instructional sessions are included in the cost of tuition. Also included in the tuition are 5 (45 minute) writing sessions with Judy Karin, our D’var Torah coach.

Some students stop meeting with their private Hebrew tutors when they actively start studying with Cantor, while others prefer to continue with some additional instruction.  The Bar/Bat Mitzvah studies are personalized to each student’s needs and are designed to promote a successful and fulfilling milestone.

NOTE: Save the date for the 3^rd-8^th Camp Ramah Retreat Weekend!  January 27-29^, 2023!

(Private Tutoring to be scheduled separately with separate fees)